Indiana Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Respond to Shooting of Ke’Yahonna Stone, Black Transgender Woman and Activist, in Indianapolis

The Indiana chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots networks, released the following statements after Ke’Yahonna Stone, a 32-year-old Black transgender woman, was shot and wounded in a shooting in Indianapolis and succumbed to her injuries on December 28. 

“Ke’Yahonna Stone was a fierce advocate and light – her life was cut far too short. Our hearts are with Ke’Yahonna’s loved ones during this heartbreaking time,” said Jennifer Haan, a volunteer with Moms Demand Action in Indiana. “We must do more to protect Black transgender women who face the threat of violence just for existing. We will continue fighting for change to protect our state from all forms of gun violence, including violence that disproportionately impacts Black trans women.”

2021 was the deadliest year on record for trans and gender nonconforming people in the U.S., with least 52 transgender or gender non-conforming people killed in 2021 in the United States and Puerto Rico and it’s likely there have been more deaths that have gone unreported or victims who have been misgendered.

2020 was previously the deadliest year on record for trans and gender nonconforming people in the U.S. Some trends from 2017 to 2020 that continued in 2021:

• Guns are the most frequently used weapon in the murder of trans people. Three-fourths of trans people killed in America were killed with a gun.
• Black trans women account for the majority of homicide victims in the trans community. To put this into perspective, while Black people make up 16% of the trans population, 75% of known trans homicide victims between 2017 and 2020 were Black.

Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund has tracked homicides of transgender and gender non-comforming people in the U.S. since 2017. In addition to breaking down gun violence to the state- and county-level, the platform includes a database of known trans or gender nonconforming homicide victims in the United States.